A forest ranger was brutally assaulted by illegal loggers at a national park in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak Sunday, newswire Dan Tri reported.

Hoang Van Xuan, deputy director of Yok Don National Park, said it happened at around 2 p.m. Sunday when three rangers were on duty at a checkpoint near the Serepok River in Krong Na Commune, Buon Don District.

Five men stormed into the checkpoint and attacked rangers Luu Hai Bac, Tran Trong Luong, and Y Khuong with weapons.

Luong and Khuong managed to flee but Bac was beaten up brutally and passed out after being hit on the head with a bottle.

He is being treated at Buon Don General Hospital.

The local police are looking for the assailants.

A similar attack by illegal loggers took place on August 19 on another ranger at Yok Don National Park.

Ta Van Tuyen and Nguyen Van Duc were patroling a place where illegal loggers usually gather when they saw a truck carrying timber.

They surreptitiously followed the truck, but the loggers spotted them and attacked them.

Tuyen was beaten up until he lost consciousness. Duc managed to escape.